Saturday, 30 December 2017

The wooden block project

You may have noticed the stack of wooden blocks on a stand in the Hangar, with a note saying 'don't touch, experiment'.. Vous avez peut-être remarqué la pile de blocs de bois sur un stand dans le hangar, avec une note disant 'ne pas toucher SVP, pour expérimenter'.

If it made you curious: it is all about a project of hundreds of painted wooden blocks, together forming a wall in Valbonne. The wall will be the last part of a big Valbonne Art project around World War 1, and at the same time start the celebrations for the 500 year that Valbonne exists - in  2019.
Si cela vous a rendu curieux: il s'agit d'un projet de centaines de blocs de bois peints, formant ensemble un mur à Valbonne. Le mur sera la dernière partie d'un grand projet artistique de Valbonne autour de la Première Guerre mondiale, et commencera en même temps les célébrations des 500 ans de Valbonne - en 2019.
The  wooden art wall will go from the Salle St Esprit (where we had the Quel Cirque expo) through the village. It has a theme: on one side it will show 'WAR' and on the other side it will show 'PEACE'. All the individual building blocks will be painted with war and peace, on 2 sides, by children, by volunteers from the village, by amateur artists and professionals.
Le mur d'art en bois ira de la salle St Esprit (où nous avons eu l'exposition Quel Cirque) à travers le village. Il a un thème: d'un côté il montrera 'WAR' et de l'autre côté il montrera 'PEACE'. Tous les blocs de construction individuels seront peints avec la guerre et la paix, sur deux côtés, par des enfants, par des bénévoles du village, par des artistes amateurs et des professionnels.

The Hangar now has 50 blocks (of which I prepared 20 for the watercolour- & acrylic starter class). That leaves 30 for Pim and Nelly's groups - but no worries, if more people want to participate I can order more...
Start thinking about how you would symbolize 'war' and 'peace' on two sides of a 20x 10cm wooden surface.
Below the French text is what I did as an example:
Le Hangar a maintenant 50 blocs (dont j'ai préparé 20 pour la classe d'aquarelle et acrylique lundi aprèm). Cela laisse 30 pour les groupes de Pim et Nelly - mais pas de soucis, si plusieurs veulent participer je peux commander plus ...
Commencez à penser à la façon dont vous symboliseriez la «guerre» et la «paix» sur les deux côtés d'une surface en bois de 20x10cm.

Voici ce que j'ai fait comme exemple:


1. The blocks need to dry first and then be gesso'd before you can paint on them - Les blocs doivent d'abord sécher, puis appliquer une couche de gesso avant de peindre dessus
10 blocks with watercolour gesso on them

2. WAR on one side - GUERRE à un coté
my representation of war, in watercolour. 
The white is the gesso that I just did not paint. Exactly like watercolours on paper!
Works like a dream

3. PEACE on the other side -  PAIX à l'autre coté
my representation of peace.


There is an extensive document in French with examples that I will drop in the Hangar mid January. For the time being - if you have any questions, just email me!
Il y a un document (en français) avec des exemples que je vais laisser dans le hangar mi-janvier. Pour le moment - si vous avez des questions, emailez-moi!

I hope to have your enthusiasm for this! Have a GREAT NEW YEAR Y'ALL!!!
J'espère avoir votre enthousiasme pour ça! BONNE ANNEE A TOUS!!!
Marina

Thursday, 28 December 2017

Nelly & Marina's Xmas lunch

On 12 December, the oil- and watercolour groups had a convivial bring-a-dish lunch together!
It was (as always)very very good, with unbelievable food.
I have enjoyed it thoroughly, but forgotten to post the lovely pictures and Carol's fantastic and easy recipe for brownies... So, better late that never, and still in 2017, here are he pictures!!

Chef Nelly always makes the best yummest chicken legs with lichee sauce. Finished in no time!!
 
Just an impression of the goodies...
 

 Jacqueline & Nelly
 Annie & Marina
 The tables - and the  great atmosphere
 



Thursday, 21 December 2017

Hangar schedule after the holidays!

Nelly, Marina and Marie have given their last classes of 2017 - and Pim will give his last Acrylics this Saturday morning (23 December)... Then it will be Christmas, and New Year - and in between, 
 
 from 24 December onwards, the Hangar will be closed.

Pim will start with his Wednesday Acrylics class on 3 January 2018. And from 8 January everything will be back to normal - with Tuesday 9 january the first 2018 Oil and Watercolour classes, 11 January the first Sculpture class... and an Atelier Expression Artistique on Sunday 14 January. You will receive the regular updates in time... But for now... Enjoy your Break!


The Hangar Board & Teachers wish you a wonderful, interesting and creative New Year!!
 

Saturday, 16 December 2017

In Memoriam Neville Moray

We are very sad to announce that on Friday 15 December, 9.30am, our dear friend Neville Moray passed away.
 
He was an esteemed and talented Hangar member, an active participant in many classes and a personal friend of both Marina and Pim.
Neville was a true scientist, in his professional life a Professor Emeritus at the Department of Psychology of the University of Surrey. But since his retirement he combined academics with being an original artist (a quite successful one) who especially loved the Hangar drawing classes.

You can see more of his art and books he published on his website.

One of the impressive things Neville did for the Hangar was give a Café Culture lecture 'Art brain and perception'. It was received with so much enthusiasm, that he repeated it a couple of months later - and had a full house again! It treated subjects like the laws of colour mixing, optical illusions and a fractal analysis of the work of Pollock.
Many of you remember him fondly, I know. If you want to react you can write me an email, I will collect them and pass them on to his family. For the people who have not known him, I wish you had because he was a good and gentle person and an excellent teacher - who was also able to be an excellent and exploring student.
Our thoughts go to his lovely wife Angela and his daughters Nerissa and Clea. He will be deeply missed. 


On behalf of the Hangar board,
Marina Kulik

Monday, 11 December 2017

Hangar not accessible on Monday 11 December



URGENT: 
Pas de Acrylique après-midi ni Classe abstraite ce soir: la route du Hangar est bloquée !!!
Veuillez transférer ce message à vos amis "abstraits". Merci beaucoup d'avance

No Acrylics afternoon, nor Abstract class tonight: the road to the Hangar is blocked!!!
Please forward this message to your 'abstract' friends. Thank you very much in advance